Bring Me to Life
by Izreina Maxwell
Summary: Eiji's niece was anything but normal. Life was hard enough for the young woman, but tragedy after tragedy caused her to lose trust in other people, including her own father. Eiji was her only confidante. And when he was away, she sometimes had difficulty coping with idiots. It was unnerving how much she sometimes reminded him of another blond, hot-headed individual.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: A little something different. I've attempted Kamen Rider stories twice, now, and haven't been happy with either attempt. For some reason, it's easier to write Super Sentai... *shrugs* At least for me...

As they say, third time's the charm... I hope... Updates will be slow in coming, I really want to see about finishing some (a lot) of my older stories... Or at least getting them off hiatus status... For my Gundam Wing readers, that should make you happy. :o)

Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just love it.

Kamen Rider OOO

Bring Me to Life – Part I

Izumi Aia wasn't a shy person. But she kept to herself, most of the time. If she had something to say, you could be damn sure she'd say it, whether or not you wanted to hear it. And sometimes it was inappropriate or just plain rude. This didn't earn her a lot of friends, but she wasn't in the business of making friends. It didn't make a good impression on her teachers when she was in school, either. Oh, she had an above average intelligence, but she was lacking in social skills. Not that it mattered to her, anyway.

It wasn't that she preferred solitude, or the introverted lifestyle. Aia just didn't like people. She didn't trust them. She'd been hurt too many times in her twenty years of life. There were only two people in the world she could honestly say she trusted, her two 'uncles', Hino Eiji and Gotou Shintaro. She couldn't even say she trusted her father completely. At least, not like her two uncles.

She knew her father, Shingo, had had a rough time raising her alone, after her mother, Chiyoko, and her aunt Hina died. But there were only so many times she could forgive broken promises and extended unexpected and unexplained absences.

Eiji, she could forgive. Yeah, he was gone for long periods of time, but he called every night and always sent emails and pictures. Aia knew Shingo's absences were because of an undercover operation of some sort or another. But when Eiji was home, he was home, and Aia was the center of his world. When Shingo was home, his mind was still at work, running through whatever case he'd been working on. Aia wondered sometimes if he even knew she was in the room.

Aia realized that burying himself into his work was his way of coping with the deaths of his wife and sister. But that didn't excuse him for his neglect of her. She didn't resent him for it, not completely. She just didn't feel like she could trust him. At least, not with some of the secrets she felt like she needed to talk to someone about. That was where Eiji came in.

She was grateful he would be in town that afternoon. He was always easy to talk to. And what she needed to talk about… well… Eiji was least likely to think she was crazy.

She was already an outcast because of her trust issues. On top of that, people would say she looked rather odd. Her father was dark-headed, as was her late mother. But her hair was a light blond, save for one very bright red streak down the front right side. The odd part was that this was a natural occurrence. And every attempt that her parents made to bleach it to blend in with the rest of her hair was futile.

There was also an oddity with her eyes. Everyone else in her family had dark colored eyes. Her eyes literally shifted from one end of the spectrum to the other, depending on her mood.

She sat in the airport lobby, reading a book on her iPad while she waited for Eiji's plane to land. She tried to keep her concentration on the iPad, but she could feel the stares of the people passing by. It didn't matter how many times she'd been here, or now many times they'd seen her. The looks were always the same.

She wasn't unusual at all to them until they found out that the eyes and the hair were natural phenomena and not the work of contact lenses and hair dye. It seemed it was normal for people to dye their hair unnatural colors, and wear lenses that changed their eyes different colors. Hell, she'd seen some use contacts that made their eyes look like cat's eyes. But she was NOT normal?

Yet another reason why she didn't like people. At any time, without warning, they could turn on you. And sometimes there didn't need to be a reason.

Not Uncle Eiji. He never judged – which was why she could tell him anything – and he always kept his promises – just sometimes he was a little late. The phrase "better late than never" was an extremely important philosophy in dealing with Aia. She could forgive tardiness, but not broken promises. If Eiji could make time for her, with as busy as his research usually kept him, her father should have been able to. She wondered, sometimes, if he even wanted to spend time with her. She wasn't the cute little girl she used to be, in spite of her oddities. She wasn't a little girl at all, anymore. She grew up. Kids tend to do that. And except for her uncles' occasional presences, she'd done it alone. People scared her, people hurt her. She needed some kind of rock in her life, and that's what Eiji was, and sometimes Shintaro. On a rare occasion, even Date Akira gave her something to smile about. Maybe her father just didn't know how to deal with her, but she couldn't forgive him for not even trying. Eiji was everything to her.

She hated the waiting when she had something to talk to Eiji about. She hated the stares. Yet she learned the first few times she'd come to wait on her uncle's plane that telling people off was the wrong thing to do. Though, in retrospect, she might have been a bit too violent about it. There had been a thorough apology to airport security by her father, and her written promise that it wouldn't happen again. She needed this, to be here when her uncle Eiji got off the plane. Despite the anxiety, being the first one her uncle saw when he came home was important to her.

This time, she was a little more impatient than normal. The sooner she got to talk to her uncle, the better. The anxiety of waiting was bad enough, but that added to anxiety of what she was going to talk about… She fought hard to keep her attention on her iPad and off of the world around her. It was to the point that she was just reading the words, none of them really sinking in. She knew the story by heart, but she just couldn't get into it, she was so stressed out.

She usually always had an escape in her stories, either reading or writing them. Yeah, it was a fictional world, but different didn't always mean bad in those worlds. In fact, different was usually a term to describe the hero of whatever story she was reading. But that escape wasn't possible in such a crowded place. She could hear the whispers, she could feel the stares. And she knew it was all about her, because if she looked up from her iPad to look around, everything was silent and peoples' attentions were suddenly elsewhere. She shouldn't care what people thought about her. But she'd been hurt way too many times to ignore them.

The anxiety was so heavy, and steadily getting worse, she was almost shaking by the time Eiji walked up. He hadn't even gotten out a hello before she had her arms wrapped around his waist in an almost crushing hug. She had her aunt Hina's strength. And when she failed to control it was when Eiji knew she was stressed out. But he was too polite to let her know that it hurt him. He knew it was something else she was self conscious about, just another oddity that people whispered about.

He suppressed the urge to cry out in pain as he thought he felt a bone or two snap. Instead, he forced himself to remain calm, concentrating a moment on keeping his breathing steady as he wrapped his arms around her. People stared, but Eiji didn't care. He never cared about being seen with his underwear on display like a flying banner when he travelled. So why would he cared about being seen with Aia. True, her appearance wasn't "normal". And Eiji had always sworn he felt a sort of aura from her… something painfully familiar. But he would never alienate her because of her oddities. Sometimes he didn't understand why people had to be so insensitive and hurtful as they'd been to Aia. And, there were many times, he had to be the one to prevent Aia from beating someone to a pulp because they'd been brave (or stupid) enough to say something to her face.

It was unnerving how much she sometimes reminded him of another blond, hot-headed individual.

He smiled softly as he felt her begin to relax after a moment or two in his embrace. And he was relieved that he could finally breathe easier as she did. He took another moment to find his voice.

"Aia-chan, breathe… I'm here. The flight was delayed or I would have been here sooner. _Gomen_…"

He let her take a few minute to wind down before he pulled away from the hug, still holding on to her.

"Now… tell me about those dreams you mentioned in your email… Okay?" Eiji knew when she was as stressed as she was, she'd want to talk about it as soon as possible. Plus… because of his delayed flight, he didn't have much time with her before his meeting with the president of the Kougami Foundation. And he'd rather her get through what she needed to tell him than hold on to the anxiety for a few more hours while waiting for him. That had happened before, and the result hadn't been pretty. He just hoped he could keep his attention on her. He knew she needed him, but he'd been having his own dreams lately, and he couldn't keep his thoughts from wandering. But he smiled down to her, anyway when she looked up to him.

She finally managed a small smile at her uncle and she held his hand tightly as he led her out of the airport. Each step was a little easier, as was each breath. Eiji made everything okay. Suddenly, the odd looks, the whispers… they didn't mean anything anymore. Eiji had that effect on her. He was the calm in the storm. He was the reminder that there were still good people in the world. But when he left again, she was continuously reminded of how much she depended on her uncle Eiji. But she had to depend on someone…

"It's the same as always… the nightmares… but… there are elements that weren't there before. Or if they were, I just didn't notice them. The nightmares don't seem so frightening when they appear. Well… they're still frightening, but in a different way. My senses in the nightmare seem dulled, except for these things. They just… stand… out…"

Aia frowned as she looked up at Eiji, who seemed preoccupied with something else. She noticed he had released her hand, absently reaching into his pocket. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was he was reaching for, grasping tightly. She'd heard the story a thousand times… the Greeed that used to possess her father… and the broken medal he left behind… She knew he was important to her uncle. She often saw him turning the two pieces over in his fingers, his brows furrowed in deep concentration. But he usually gave her his full attention when she was in the room, putting everything else away. Out of sight, out of mind…

For him to keep losing focus on her, something had to have happened, either during his research or something he's meeting with Kougami about. She suddenly felt very selfish for placing another burden on him. So she went quiet, keeping her eyes down on the pavement in front of them as they walked. She shoved her trembling hands into her pockets to keep them out of sight as anxiety started building in her chest again.

There were several minutes of silence that Eiji hadn't seemed to notice as Aia's anxiety continued to build. Her hands closed into tight fists in her pockets to fight the tremble. In her mind, the familiar nightmare began replaying, memories of a night she'd much rather forget, but something won't let her. Dealing with them was getting easier, that was until the new elements started appearing.

The ringing of Eiji's phone made them both jump as they were pulled from their thoughts. Eiji pulled his hand from his pocket as he released the two halves of the broken medal, but they didn't make it back into the pocket. Instead they fell to the concrete, and Aia froze as the sound echoed in her ears. The sound was one of the two new elements of her nightmare, continuously ringing throughout the dream. She suddenly saw the second element, a bright red feather blew in from somewhere down the street, landing on top of the two medal halves on the concrete.

Aia reached down, picking up the two halves as well as the feather. As long as she'd known about the broken taka medal, this was her first time touching it. She stared at it while Eiji was on the phone, running a finger over one of the broken edges, then the other. She felt an instant connection with it, and she didn't think she wanted to let it go. But she knew it didn't belong to her. And when Eiji finally finished his call, she reluctantly held it out to him.

He gave her a very apologetic smile as he placed his hand over hers, but not to take the medal.

"_Gomen_ Aia-chan… I got distracted… I didn't realize how far behind my flight was. And I need to get to my meeting." He frowned as he stared at the medal in her shaking hands. He had tried to pay attention to Aia, but he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander. He always tried to be completely there for her, because he was the only one that was there for her. So he knew when she was as stressed as she was, not paying attention to what she had to say was a mistake.

He gave her another small smile as he patted her hand. "Why… why don't you hang on to this for me? That way, you know I won't be too long… Okay?"

She frowned at the medal for several moments before looking up to Eiji. This was something very important to him. She knew he wouldn't part with it easily. But she knew she was also important to him, he wanted her to be able to continue trusting him. So he would trust her to take care of the broken medal, which was a promise that he'd be back, maybe not as quickly as he hoped, but Eiji kept his promises. She smiled, though it was a little shaky, and nodded.

The smile didn't stay on her face long after Eiji hurried off. She knew Eiji's meetings with Kougami could last for quite a while. She probably wouldn't see him until later in the evening, probably even after dark. By that time, the stress would have built up to the point she wouldn't be able to talk. Shintaro would have been her next choice, but he would likely be with Kougami, if the meeting was as important as Eiji seemed to think. But it was always easier to talk to Eiji. And she needed to talk to Eiji this time. Especially since it was apparent this medal he trusted her to hold on to played a key factor in her nightmares.

Now she just had to deal with the stress until Eiji's meeting was done with. There was only one stress reliever that she felt did the trick, and it fueled her occasional desire to beat someone to a pulp. The only problem was that it wasn't exactly legal. She usually wouldn't resort to the underground fighting when Eiji was home. There were only so many excuses for bruises and broken bones. And she was quite certain that neither of her uncles nor her father needed to know about the place, or the fact that she was participating.

But that's how bad the anxiety was, sometimes. She needed that physical outlet. And even though the medal pieces gave her some comfort, it just wasn't enough to suppress the growing anxiety. She put the medal halves into her pocket before she resumed her walk down the street.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Chapter 2! So... I said I wasn't going to concentrate on this story until I got further along on my others... I apparently say that often. But once something gets stuck in my head, I gotta get it written. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, just love it!

Kamen Rider: OOO

Bring Me to Life – Part II

Aia definitely needed this. Eiji had called and told her that he had to make an unexpected trip out into the country. He wouldn't be back until sometime the following evening. She already hated Kougami with a passion, but sending her uncle away when she needed him the most… It was unforgivable. This was bound to be a long night.

She prayed Eiji would forgive her, but she'd attached each half of the red taka medal to a chain she wore around her neck, along with the red feather. She didn't want to chance losing them out of her pockets during her fights and there was no chance in hell she was letting go of them. They meant too much. And the feather… it was some sort of sign, she knew it.

She spit out a mouthful of blood as she stood after a powerful kick from her opponent, who was twice her size. She'd gone a few more rounds than she normally would have, and she was beginning to wear down. But her need wasn't satisfied, yet. She still had a lot of stress to let go of, and she wasn't about to give up. It didn't help that each attack she either made or blocked made the two medal halves clank together, the sound ringing in her ears, drawing the nightmares back into the front of her mind. It fed her anxiety, but at the same time… It was like feeling fear and strength at the same time. She couldn't explain it any better than that.

Her retaliation from the kick was swift and ended with her opponent flying out of the ring. Once he hit the floor, he didn't get up, though he tried. Aia thought she might have paralyzed him, considering the way in which he landed, but… to be frank… she didn't care. He was a means to an end. And despite her victory, it wasn't a very satisfying ending. And that pissed her off. But she wasn't nearly as pissed off as her opponent's friends obviously were. The guy had lost to a little girl, and to add insult to injury… a lot of money had been riding on this fight. And he'd lost every bit of it when he failed to get back up to his feet.

She cracked her knuckles as three of his pals advanced towards her while two others lifted him off the floor. It was funny that she could be scared to death of people in general, but these three men who, in all likelihood, were about to kill her… She wasn't so afraid of them. In fact, she was excited by the thought of taking them all on at once. The rush of adrenaline was usually all it took to drive away the nightmares. She smirked at them, motioning for them to bring it on. Perhaps this would be more satisfying.

She ducked under the fist of the first attacker, countering with a punch to the ribs that probably didn't do any damage, but it threw him off guard for a moment. Being smaller had its advantages and she could quickly maneuver around him as he tried to grab her to get to the second attacker while the first stumbled after having missed her.

All eyes in the place were on her and the three men and bets were being placed on the impromptu fight. This was the only place in her life where being the center of attention didn't bother her. As long as she got to fight, she didn't care who was watching, or what they thought of her. Though, in all fairness, how odd she looked was the least to be worried about in a place like this.

There was the clanking of medals again, in rhythm with each movement she made. It became a welcome sound, a sound that kept her going, giving her strength. She was beginning to think she made a mistake in provoking them, the fight with their buddy had already begun to wear her down, but she wasn't about to give up. She gave as good as she got.

_You have a death wish, don't you?_ The voice caught her attention, distracting her long enough for the third to grab her from behind just as she took down the first. The second joined his pal in restraining her as the first got to his feet. Yup, definitely a mistake taking on this fight. She could have easily continued to dodge, she was small and quick enough, but once they grabbed a hold of her, she was done for. One of them was strong enough, but two of them holding her… She scanned the room, looking for the source of that damned voice that had distracted her. She felt like she should know it, but she'd never heard it before.

The voice in her head let out an exasperating sigh. _Don't expect me to do this all the time._

"What the hell…?" She never finished her sentence as the medal sounds seemed to get louder in her head. And if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have never believed it. The two red taka medal halves sank right through her skin, leaving only the red feather on the chain around her neck. Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt something tugging at her thoughts, pulling at her consciousness.

She blinked once and was suddenly alone in a white void. The three attackers were gone, the ring was gone… hell the whole room was gone. It was just… white nothingness. Then there was the sound of medals again as a red feather drifted into view from somewhere above her. She caught the feather, holding it in the palm of her hand for a moment.

"I don't know if you're really strong, or really stupid…"

The voice in her head that had distracted her was right behind her and she spun around, her punch caught by a hand that definitely wasn't human, red talons closing around her fist. Her eyes followed the inhuman arm all the way up, right to where it connected to a more human-looking body. The blond hair was in an odd style, but other than that, and the arm… it looked an awful lot like a younger version of her father.

Her eyes widened a bit as she looked him over. "You're Ankh…"

"Give the lady an ice candy…" He gave a single nod as he looked her over. The detective's daughter was certainly a lot stronger than she looked. Maybe it had something to do with being Hina's niece. It had been obvious from what he observed that she had that woman's freakish strength. But, taking on three guys much bigger and much stronger than her… There had to be some degree of stupid there. His brow rose as his eyes finally met hers. She knew good and well what she got herself into with these fights. Did she really place so little value on her life? He tilted his head to the side as he studied her for a moment.

"Tch… It'd be an inconvenience for me if you died here… I'm taking over…" He let go of her fist and didn't even give her a second glance as he passed her, beginning to disappear into the void.

"Wait… what…?!"

* * *

Dummy number one had grabbed a fist full of her tank top, pulling it until the neck of it ripped slightly, his other hand closed in a tight fist, ready to drive a punch into her abdomen. He came to a dead stop in mid punch. He knew he'd seen something dangling on that necklace a moment ago. Then it was gone, like her body just swallowed it up. He shared a glance with dummies numbers two and three as she seemed to convulse for a second before going limp in their arms.

Number one's brow rose as he looked between his two buddies again. Numbers two and three loosened their grip around her, letting her fall to the floor. But no sooner than they let go, that both of them were suddenly flung across the room, slamming into opposite walls. Number one looked dumbfounded as the room went silent, watching her stand.

But the eyes that regarded him didn't belong to the little girl he and his buddies had been fighting. And the monstrous hand that grabbed him by the neck definitely wasn't hers. His eyes went wide as the cool gaze of the… whatever the hell she was… looked him over, lifting the dummy up off the floor, despite how much shorter and smaller she was. She most definitely did NOT have this strength a moment ago. Or if she did, she just didn't show it.

"Wh… what the h… hell are you…?"

Ankh smirked, but didn't answer. He couldn't count the number of times he'd wished he'd had Hina's strength when he'd first possessed her brother. It would have definitely been an advantage, especially when dealing with her. He knew, if this girl hadn't been worn down by the previous fight, she would have had no problem utilizing this strength against the three dummies. He could still feel her body aching for rest, but it would hold out long enough for him to end this.

Apparently the fun was coming to an end. Police whistles and sirens could be heard, and nearly everybody in that place was scrambling for an exit. But Ankh refused to let dummy number one go. He was actually curious to see what this body was capable of. It was already an asset much more promising than her father's had been. Not to call Shingo a weakling, but… well, yes, he was most definitely calling Shingo a weakling.

Dummy number one finally forced himself through his shock at the situation and started fighting back, kicking Ankh in the side, just under the arm. It was enough to get the Greeed to put him down, but Dummy quickly found himself in over his head. He was dealing with something definitely not human… But before Ankh could get the final attack in, police had surrounded them. Dummy tried an escape, but was quickly tackled by officers.

Ankh glared at him, completely unsatisfied with the fight's results. But before he could do anything else, someone grabbed his host by the shoulders and spun him around.

"Aia… what on earth are you…." Shingo stopped in mid-sentence after realizing it wasn't his daughter's eyes that he met. He knew Aia's eyes were almost never the same color twice… that they shifted from one end of the spectrum to the other, but this… He scanned over her a moment before his gaze settled on the painfully familiar arm of the bird Greeed.

"Ankh…?" His glare shot back up to meet the Greeed's. "Where's Aia?"

"You didn't age very well, did you?" Ankh stood to his, or rather Aia's, full height as he looked the detective over.

The voice was Aia's, but not Aia's at the same time. Just like when Shingo was possessed by Ankh. It wasn't just the change in the way he looked, he carried himself differently and spoke in a lower, harsher tone. He didn't like it. Shingo had known all Aia's life that she was… different… At first, the changing of her eye colors wasn't unusual. Most infants do not keep the eye color they are born with, it changes as they develop. But Aia's were always shifting, he had actually seen it as it happened. The biggest clue, though, had been when her hair began growing out, and out came that one bright red streak against the blonde. He had always had a suspicion it was connected to Ankh. He never shared that suspicion with the others, but there was no reason to NOT make the connection. If one knew Ankh, one could see it.

And he didn't like it. Shingo didn't like it at all that Aia was so much more like Ankh than she was like him or his late wife. How Ankh had revived wasn't a concern at the moment. He wanted to know what the hell had happened, and why his daughter's body was battered, bruised, and bleeding. His glare turned icy when Ankh didn't answer his question.

"Ankh… What… happened… to… my… daughter…?"

Ankh's brow rose as he tilted his head to the side in thought as he studied his former host. Surely, the man's presence would have drawn out the girl's consciousness. In fact, he expected that to happen, so he refrained from answering Shingo's question. Not that he would, anyway. But instead of drawing her out, it caused her to retreat further. Interesting. From what he'd observed before, the relationship between parent and child was a strong one, not so easily tampered with. Mezool had exploited that bond once, and it had taken a lot of power for her to do so.

The longer he possessed Aia, the more of her memories he could search for information. And what he found was intriguing. Shingo had no such relationship with his daughter… odd, considering what he remembered from his possession of the detective. According to Aia's memory, Shingo provided a roof over her head and food on the table, but that was as far as the relationship went. And it had been like that since the deaths of Hina and Chiyoko.

Hina's dead… And that restaurant owner… annoying as she was, she was a provider, and if Ankh had anything to compare her to, she was like an overprotective sister, as Hina had been. Far be it from Ankh to admit it… but he had begun to like them… at least tolerate them… When he regained his consciousness, they were two faces he had expected to see… wanted to see… But he couldn't… because they were dead…

Ankh's breath caught in his throat a moment as he felt something stirring in his chest… or Aia's chest… Had to be Aia. There was no possible way for him to be having emotional responses like this. All he was, after all, was a pile of medals… not even that… he was a single core… a single… broken… core… How the hell was this possible? And why was he just now realizing that? He could feel his core… still two halves… floating within Aia, nothing binding them together. And, yet, he was conscious… It was this girl…

"Ankh!" Shingo's hands grasped Ankh's shoulders firmly, giving the Greeed a shake. He wasn't happy about being ignored, especially by Ankh. He frowned as he felt a sudden convulsion run through the Greeed's host before she collapsed into her father's arms. He eased her to the floor, looking her over. The Greeed's arm was gone, it was Aia's. In fact, he could see no trace of Ankh, except for the two halves of the red taka medal that he was sure were not on that chain around her neck a moment ago.

"He's gone…" Aia's voice was soft as her eyes fluttered open, but she did all she could to avoid her father's gaze. If she wasn't so damn tired, drained, she would have pushed him away from her. She didn't like being this close to him. In just that brief time that Ankh was a part of her, she understood why she and her father had become so distant.

It wasn't Aia he saw when he looked at her. It was Ankh. It had always been Ankh. So what was Aia, then…? Nothing… that's what she was… And if her own father only saw the Greeed, then what about Eiji…? Her rock, her confidante, her world… Ankh was someone important to Eiji, she'd known that… so was his only reason for spoiling her, listening to her worries, her dreams, her nightmares… was that all because of her resemblance to Ankh…?

Anger quickly fueled what little strength she had and she pushed him away, scrambling to her feet as soon as she felt his arms release her. Her body wanted nothing more than to just collapse and rest. But there was no way in hell she was going home with him. Not tonight. Maybe not ever again. Her hand closed around the two medal halves. They were still warm, and she could swear she felt a pulse within them. Maybe… maybe if they wanted Ankh so bad, she could just let the Greeed have her body. That would make Eiji happy, he would have his precious Ankh… she wouldn't bother him with her problems anymore… and she wouldn't be such a burden on her father. Everybody wins… all she would have to do is disappear. She just had to find a way to make that happen.

"Aia…" Shingo reached his hand out to her, only for her to retreat further from him. He frowned as he watched her trembling, clutching Ankh's core as if it was her lifeline. There was anger in her eyes… hatred when she finally met his gaze. He felt a knot in his chest, somehow knowing he was the cause.

"Stay the hell away from me…"

Her voice was too controlled for his liking, which only made the knot tighter. But before he could respond, she was gone. And he didn't know whether or not to chase after her.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So... wow... this story has gotten a lot more attention than I thought it would. So... I guess third time really is the charm? How am I doing? Got a question for you guys at the end. Enjoy!

Kamen Rider: OOO

Bring Me to Life – Part III

Shingo knew his daughter wouldn't have been home. That didn't stop him from calling out to her when he walked in the door. He sighed as he pushed the door closed, leaning against it as he ran a hand over his face. He couldn't get it out of his mind, the anger in her eyes as she ran away from him. He sighed again, shaking his head as he walked into the kitchen.

His liquor addiction was so second nature he didn't even realize he wanted the drink until it was in his hand. He had to hide the bottles. From Aia and from Eiji. And every hiding spot was almost in plain sight if one knew what to look for. It was funny how he never touched the stuff, even on celebratory occasions, until Hina's and Chiyoko's deaths. And once he started, he couldn't get through each day without it. Forget one day and move to the next. And this was a day he really wanted to forget.

He royally screwed up. He knew he hadn't been the father he should have been. But he couldn't see of any way he could have done differently. Not without Chiyoko, or even Hina. He sighed again as he poured his second glass. He didn't even know if he should be out looking for Aia or not. He was afraid it would do more harm than good. He'd left messages with both Shintaro and Eiji. He was sure she'd listen to one of them long before she'd listen to him.

He sat down on a barstool, pouring yet another glass. He stared into the clear liquid, a grim smile playing on his lips. He could imagine the scolding he would have received from Hina and the thousand ways Chiyoko could have made things right. But that was Chiyoko's nature. She was a nurturer, he was the provider and protector. He had never imagined he would have to take her place. Eiji was like that too. Shingo was more than grateful that Eiji filled that position in Aia's life. But he hadn't realized exactly how much more Aia relied on Eiji than she did him. How much trust did she place in Eiji because of that? It was clear what she did to relieve the stress when she couldn't talk to Eiji.

If what he'd heard from the people they rounded up from that bust earlier was to be believed… It was a shock to hear that she had been participating in those illegal fights for a long time. She never took any of the money she had earned. All she had wanted was the opportunity to fight someone. No rules or regulations. Just the opportunity to take out every frustration she bottled up between Eiji's visits. And she could go as far as she dared with these fights. She could have killed the man she ended up paralyzing. And he didn't think she would have cared.

Not for the first time, he wondered if Ankh had more of a hand in her conception than he did. She looked like Ankh. She acted like Ankh. Even before that night, he could swear he heard a bit of Ankh in her speech every now and then. She even had his damned addiction to ice candy!

He slammed the glass down onto the marble countertop. He realized that was a mistake as shards went everywhere, but it wasn't the ones cutting into this palm that hurt him the most. It was the shards that bounced on the countertop, the sound painfully similar to the clanking of medals. Damn that red bastard for turning his life upside down. From the very beginning. If it hadn't been for Ankh, there wouldn't have been that incident that nearly killed him that gave the red Greeed the perfect opportunity to possess him. If it hadn't been for Ankh, he and Hina would have never been dragged into the world of Greeed and core medals, monsters and desire. Granted, he never would have met Eiji or Chiyoko. But he would have never suffered all of this heartache, either. His little sister and the love of his life were gone. And the irreplaceable friend Shingo had made, he had to admit that was also because of the Greeed, the closest thing he had to a brother, Eiji took over the duties as father to his daughter.

He thinks that, more than anything else, was what angered him the most. Aia's resemblance to Ankh had been more than evident, her entire life. And it had been no secret just how much the red Greeed had meant to the Rider. Shingo had begun to wonder, many times, if Eiji believed Aia was Ankh's daughter, and therefore, his responsibility. Logic told him this was absurd. First, Ankh was NOT a living being, just a pile of medals. He didn't have the necessary… equipment… lest it be through a human host, as Shingo had been. Which brought him to the second logical point. Ankh was gone by the time of Aia's conception. He was nothing more than a broken core living in Eiji's pocket. Eiji wasn't even in the country during that time.

Logic does not support the theory that Aia was Ankh's daughter. Aia was Shingo's daughter. Eiji had always been a nurturer AND a protector. It was in his nature to step in when Shingo needed help. Logic also told Shingo many times that he had practically handed over the parental reins to Eiji. But with each drink, logical thought had begun to slip away from him. Eiji had not only taken Chiyoko's place in Aia's life, he'd taken Shingo's place.

And Shingo had let him. That was a mistake. Shingo trusted Eiji to help raise his daughter, not take her away from him. And what gave him the right to give Aia that red bastard's core? Reminding him of Ankh was bad enough, but becoming Ankh…

He didn't even bother to try to hide the evidence of his addiction when the door opened. It didn't matter who it was, he was past the point of caring about who knew. But as soon as he saw Eiji's face, he had his shirt gripped in both fists, slamming the Rider's back against the wall.

"Sh-Shingo-san…?" Eiji remained still for a moment, eyes wide with surprise as he looked the other man over. He could smell the alcohol, long before he saw the nearly empty bottle and the remains of the drinking glass scattered across the counter. He made his way home as soon as he got Shingo's message. His research could wait, although he thinks he may have learned what he needed to know. Either way, finding Aia was a priority.

He knew that she wouldn't go back home. Not with as angry as she probably was. And although Eiji had a talent for stating the obvious, he figured mentioning that Shingo had been drinking probably wasn't the best thing to do at the moment. So he went with the second most obvious point, though he suspected Shingo was completely unaware of it.

"Shingo-san, you're bleeding…" Eiji pointed down to Shingo's hand as it gripped his shirt even tighter. He didn't know what drove the man to drinking, though with the way Shingo lashed out at him, he figured he did something wrong.

Shingo blinked a few times when he looked at his hand, the one that his glass had shattered in. He looked at his palm as he released Eiji's shirt, staring at it as if the streaks of red were something foreign. It took a moment for him to recognize the sight of his own blood as logic attempted to break through the haze. Lashing out at Eiji wouldn't bring Aia back. He sighed as he stepped away from Eiji, picking up a kitchen towel to wrap his hand.

"What the Hell were you thinking? Giving her that core…"

Eiji had taken in a deep breath the moment Shingo released him. He dropped his travel bag to the floor. It was a gift from Aia so he figured he shouldn't upset her by continuing to carry his underwear out on display. He started to reach for the first aid kit in the kitchen so that he could tend to Shingo's hand but stopped short when he mentioned Ankh's core.

He'd almost forgotten he'd given Aia the core for safekeeping. But what in the world happened? What was so terrible to drive Shingo to drinking?

"She needed to talk and I didn't have time. I gave it to her to hold on to as a promise that I would be back as quick as possible…" Surely that wasn't wrong. It was a broken medal. How was it wrong to ask Aia to take care of a broken medal? He finally pulled the first aid kit out of the kitchen cabinet as Shingo found another glass, pouring himself another drink.

"Hino…"

Eiji dropped the first aid kit as Shintaro's voice came from the doorway. He hadn't realized he'd left the door open when Shingo grabbed him.

"Gotou-san…"

The other Rider closed the door behind him, stepping over Eiji's bag, carrying a tablet computer. He stared at Shingo for a long moment as the man poured what was left in the bottle into the glass. He did a quick survey of the scene, the broken glass, the now empty bottle of alcohol, the man he knew was usually more level headed than this. He rose a brow as he looked back to Eiji as he placed the first aid kit on the counter, attempting to get Shingo to let him tend to his hand.

Shintaro had known that what had happened at the raid of the fight club would have hit Shingo hard, but he didn't realize how hard. Of course, word had reached Kougami about what had happened and Shintaro had to look into it, himself. He wondered if it might hold a clue as to where to find Aia, but he really wasn't prepared for what he found. He knew Eiji would want to see it.

"A lot of the guys you brought in from that fight club had videos on their phones." He barely glanced at Shingo, he couldn't stand to see him like this, but he knew he couldn't avoid the man, not in his own home. He cringed slightly when Shingo's eyes met his. "They've all been confiscated and the president has made sure all of the videos and photos have been erased, after they were sent to the Foundation, of course." He handed the tablet over to Eiji after he managed to patch Shingo's hand up. "It looks like he was right… in a way…"

Eiji nearly dropped the tablet after watching the short video. A three-minute long video was all it took for him to understand Shingo's earlier reaction to him giving Aia Ankh's core. He continued to scroll through the photos, tuning out Shingo's glare for a moment.

"Kougami-san… seems to believe that when Ankh's core cracked… it left fragments behind that remained with you when he left you for the last time." He paused a moment as he scrolled through a few more photos. "He believes that if the fragments were joined with the core halves, it would be made whole again."

"He also suspected a long time ago that Aia might have inherited Ankh's core fragments. I don't think it would have been possible for her to absorb the broken core unless it was being drawn toward the fragments…" Shintaro took the tablet as Eiji handed it back to him.

Shingo wanted to ignore them. He didn't want to hear this. The notion that Aia was Ankh's daughter had been so ridiculous just a moment ago. But the more he listened the more valid the idea was becoming. There was no other explanation for why Aia resembled Ankh more than either Shingo or Chiyoko. Aia may very well be the red bastard's child… if not the red bastard, himself. That was a thought he couldn't bear. He knew he'd screwed up with Aia, driving her away from him. But he didn't know what he would do if she was gone for good. He'd rather have her hate him, than not have her at all, especially if Ankh might be in her form, constantly reminding him of everything he'd lost.

He'd prayed for years that this was all just one big nightmare. That that attack that left him open for Ankh's possession of him was just a normal job hazard, that he was just in a coma, and he'd wake up any moment now, Hina beside him.

He knew it was too much to hope for. The memories were all too real to have been a nightmare. These feelings had just been building up for too many years. Shingo knew his addiction was only temporarily silencing his fears, just getting him through one day at a time. And each time they returned, it took more to silence them.

Eiji stared at Shingo, frowning at his silence. The last glass that the detective had poured was still sitting on the counter, untouched. Eiji's heart was racing. He didn't know whether to be anxious about seeing Ankh again, or scared to death at what this ordeal was doing to his friend and his niece. He knew he probably needed to stay by Shingo's side and try to help him. The way he had downed drink after drink told Eiji this had been something that was going on for a long time in secret. Then there was that part of him that wanted to be out looking for Aia, but he couldn't clarify whether it was Aia or Ankh he wanted to look for.

"I'll stay with Izumi. I think it's best if you look for Aia. You're the only one she'll cooperate with when she's this upset."

"Eiji's the only one she'll cooperate with…" Shingo stared into his drink, having no success in ignoring the conversation around him. The words stung to hear, but he knew they were true. His voice was soft as he spoke, the bitterness in it overshadowed just slightly by a slur as the alcohol ran through his system. If he was lucky, a few more would be all it would take to push him into the land of unconsciousness, where he'd sleep away this nightmare. He doubted he was that lucky, since the second Rider was staying behind.

"There's only one place she'd be, that I can think of. And it's probably where Ankh would go, too…"

Eiji didn't need to hear any more clarification. He immediately knew where Aia would have gone. He'd found her there many times when she was so deep in her troubles she couldn't talk to him. It's where she went to cry when she didn't want anyone seeing it, or to take out frustrations on different projects. He knew he was the only one she talked to, so he knew she had to have some other outlet for her stress when he wasn't home. After watching the video of her fight before Ankh took over… he wondered just how much stress the girl was under for her to be taking her frustrations out on people.

And since Shingo took that outlet away, that left one option.

* * *

AN: So… I would really like to know what you guys think about how this story is going. I can't exactly use updates as an incentive for reviews, because I just don't have as much time to write as I used to, so updates are sparse enough. But… I'm wondering…

I'm thinking that Gotou-chan (it feels weird calling him 'Shintaro'… or is that just me?) probably needs a Birth apprentice. A possible, POSSIBLE, love interest for Aia. I haven't really thought that far ahead yet. I kind of want to get some input from you guys. What kind of person would you like to see as the next Birth? It's going to be a while before the apprentice's appearance (say that three times fast), so I want some serious thought put into this!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: So this is coming out quicker than any story I've written in a long while. Here's Part IV and Part V is already in the works. I hope you guys enjoy how it's going.

Kamen Rider: OOO

Bring Me to Life – Part IV

The combination lock on the gate around the building had been used so many times, the numbers had worn off. But Aia never had to worry about people breaking in. There was nothing of value inside, the lock just served as a sign. If it was open, the weird girl was inside, and she was not to be messed with. She had been known to be rather violent with trespassers. This place was important to her, and Aia would kill to keep what was left of it safe. She couldn't care less about the house she lived in with her father. But this was different.

Even if the weird girl wasn't around, no one really wanted to go in, anyway. The stale smell of smoke from the fire that destroyed the building six years prior still lingered in the air. Or maybe Aia's memory just wouldn't let her forget it. She certainly couldn't forget anything else about that night. No matter how much she tried to cover the scars. Even though she could count so many more good memories of the place than bad, the bad were just so strong. She tried to make them go away. And when she couldn't, she just gave up.

For six years, on and off again, she worked on little projects at a time, something to give new life to the Cous Coussier. She had a strong belief that the nightmares could be driven away if she filled the place with the life and the love that her mother and her sister gave it. But no one could give it the life they did. She didn't know anyone like them. There WAS no one like them. She only knew idiots who passed judgment at every turn. No one had the love that those two women had. So every project that Aia began, ended in tears. Oh, Eiji would come along and make everything better. But then he was gone again. And each day, each nightmare, just repeated itself over and over.

It wasn't Aia he wanted to be with. Otherwise he wouldn't be gone so often and for so long. The one his entire life was spent chasing after was Ankh. Ankh was who he wanted. Ankh was who they all saw when they looked at Aia. That had been made clear. Her resemblance was why Eiji had looked after her for so long when he was home, and why her father resented her. Maybe 'resent' was a strong word. She hadn't missed the hurt in his eyes when she ran away from him. But the rift between them had started a long time ago, even before her mother and aunt died. Aia couldn't remember if he ever was as close as she wanted him to be. It had been apparent since she was born there was something not quite human about her. A fact that was pointed out to her constantly. It was bad enough to hear it from strangers, but family… She wasn't sure she had a family at all. In fact, she was damn sure she didn't have a family

Ankh was the one they saw. Ankh was the one they wanted. At least, he was the one Eiji wanted. She saw the hurt in his eyes every now and then when he was addressing her. Especially if she had done or said something that Ankh would have. She knew Eiji wished it really was Ankh, not Aia. And if Aia could make it happen for him, then at least she could say she did something worthwhile. It's not like she was worth anything else.

The medal halves that had been a comfort earlier in the evening, now felt like a heavy burden. Because she now knew the price they carried. Unless the core was inside of her, it was just a broken medal, nothing more than a trinket. It didn't take a genius to figure out that what made Aia resemble Ankh so much, was that she possessed a part of Ankh. The part that made his core whole. So only she could give him new life. She just had to give up hers in return

It wasn't long before she absorbed the halves again, and Ankh's consciousness crept into her own. But it didn't take control. This time it stayed in the background, observing. After a moment, she almost physically felt his presence, like he was standing beside her. When she looked, she could have sworn she saw his faint image standing among some discarded wood scraps, that piercing gaze of his sweeping over what was one his nest, his home.

The roof had caved in. The stairs leading up to the second floor attic that he and Eiji had shared were almost completely gone, save for the railing on the wall. The walls around the bulk of the restaurant were black and weakened from waters that were used to extinguish the fire. And the only thing holding the second floor up was a single pillar, that Aia had braced beams against for support. And Ankh knew that it was the only thing supporting the second floor because he could see the weakened walls slightly bent out of shape , sagging from the weight of the building.

This meant that one wrong move could bring the entire building down on Aia. He didn't know why the condition of the building affected him so much. But he was overwhelmed by the sight. He had noticed several projects that had been begun to restore the place but were never finished. That still didn't ease the pang in his… well, not HIS chest. But the emotion was there, and it was frightening, because he shouldn't be able to feel this kind of thing. But he knew the feeling didn't come from Aia this time. This was his nest, his home. And it was gone…

_What… what happened…?_ The lips of the image didn't move at all as his eyes met hers, the voice that rang in Aia's head was not something she would have thought she'd hear from the Greeed. Aia tore her gaze away from his, attempting to ignore the presence as she moved around the building, casually picking things up, looking them over, and tossing them aside.

"Shit happens…" The voice was forced, very controlled, but Ankh sensed something in the reply as his gaze on her turned into a hard glare.

She didn't count on what happened next. It shouldn't have been able to happen. The image of Ankh walked over to her, grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around, holding her shoulders firmly. The image was still faint, she could see almost straight through him, but his hands felt so real. She finally noticed that they were standing in that same white void where she first met him, it just resembled the remains of the Cous Coussier. Once she realized that, the image of Ankh was more visible, more real.

"What the hell kind of answer is that?

Without the threat of the fight earlier, she had a chance to look him over more completely. He looked like the pictures of her father when he was younger, but at the same time, he didn't. And it wasn't just his hair or the Greeed arm. His stance had a slight slouch to it, but there was something in it that made him seem taller, not shorter. His face held nothing soft about it. Every line was hard and precise. His features were set in a permanent scowl. But there was something in his eyes, something she never even saw in her father's eyes. And she didn't want to see it, because it was making her doubt her decision.

"The only one you'll get from me…" She jerked her shoulders out of his grip and turned away, her voice just as hard and controlled as the first reply had been. But after a moment or two, the voice was soft, choked as she stared around the room, avoiding his gaze. "I'm sure Uncle Eiji will tell you all about it, and everything else that you missed out on in the last twenty years…"

Ankh stared at her for a moment as she dug around for some tool or another, his brow rose at the bitterness in her voice. It was odd for someone to feel that way toward Eiji. Eiji was the idiot who went out of his way, put his life on the line, to protect strangers, to help them. But then… his previous encounter with Aia showed him that the detective had changed over the years… Couldn't Eiji have changed, also?

Humans did whatever they pleased to fulfill their desires. Eiji sacrificed himself for the sake of others. But it was his choice if he became a little more selfish as he got older. Then why did the thought not sit right with him? What happened to cause this girl's bitterness toward Eiji? Why the hell did he care?

"Would you be satisfied with this body?"

Wait, what? He stared at her a moment as she tossed one tool aside, looking around for another. She finally met his eyes again. The color of her eyes was odd, there was almost a liquid feel to them as they shifted between a pale blue and a light grey, almost white. There was something… sad… in them. Granted, he didn't have any knowledge of the emotion to connect to it, but it was just the feel as the colors swirled in the irises, like tears that refused to fall.

"Huh…?"

There was a flash in the eyes. Ankh thought he saw a streak of red in them for a moment before they went back to the grayish blue swirl. Anger. He knew that emotion well. But she was no threat to him. Her body and mind were already weakened by the fights, and she didn't stop running once she left her father until she'd gotten here. She was too tired to be a threat. She didn't really want a confrontation. That, he could see. But he didn't think it was the fatigue speaking when she said what she did.

"When you possessed Tou-san… You wanted his body as your own. You wanted the experiences of a human being that were denied to you as a Greeed. You told Uncle Eiji that you got what you wanted in the end, but I think I know you better than that, even in the short time we were merged. You want to see the vibrant colors again, you want to feel that satin sheet you draped across your nest again, you want the taste of ice candy again, there were still things you didn't get to experience through Tou-san… You want my strength. Don't forget I was watching when you fought that dummy back there…"

Ankh didn't deny that, any of it. More than anything, he wanted that kind of life and everything it had to offer. The desire had been brushed off by all of his so-called acquaintances, even Eiji, until the Rider had experienced it, himself. But, still… to have this girl offering that… It didn't matter that she was female. He was certain he could adjust. Couldn't be THAT different from possessing the detective, could it? But did she honestly understand what that meant?

"You realize, when I possessed that detective, it was because he was near death. He had no consciousness to fight me for control. Now I don't know how me and you are able to be conscious here at the same time… But as we are, you can take it back whenever you want to. In order for you to give up that body completely…"

"I would have to die, or close enough to it that this consciousness disappears... Uncle Eiji said, over time, Tou-san's body stayed alive while you possessed it, healing on its own… When that happens…" She shrugged a little. "We'll keep going through it as long as you want… If all I have to do is disappear…"

Ankh didn't know what to say for a moment. Yeah, she understood what that meant. And her quick and matter-of-fact answer was said with such a steady, unfeeling voice. The sadness was still in her eyes was the only sign of her feeling anything. Ankh was stunned, which was no easy feat. He didn't know what surprised him most, what she was offering, or his reaction to it. There was no reason he should be hesitating in answering. Take it before she had second thoughts! What was stopping him?

"That can most certainly be arranged…"

There was a crack in her voice as her eyes changed again. There was a swirl of yellow that was barely visible. It didn't take a genius to decode it. Ankh didn't even have to be human, even a Greeed figured it out. It was fear. But it was brief as what looked like flames took over. It wasn't the bright red of anger like Ankh saw earlier. It was the fire of determination. This girl was serious about offering Ankh her body as a vessel. She was frightened, but determined enough to make it happen. What the hell was going through this girl's head?

And it took him a second too late to realize she wasn't going to wait for an answer from him.

She had found the tool she was looking for during the conversation with Ankh in her mind. And he didn't notice. He hadn't realized what she was doing until the sledge hammer was in swing, taking out the only support holding up the second floor.


End file.
